Challenge:
Community Connect Labs’ goal was to ensure that 575,000 people, particularly low-income people and minorities, got fairly and accurately counted in the 2020 Census.
Solutions:
With the support of FCF, they secured a contract with the State of Illinois to conduct Census outreach. Illinois had the highest census self-response rates among large states. Based on the guidance from the FCF team they were able to increase their budget, enabling them to provide over 2,000 referrals for mental health services, and 4,000 referrals for social assistance in Illinois. After a brainstorming session with FCF Members, CommunityConnect Labs launched new product solutions for COVID-19 contact tracing and 2020 election updates and reminders.
Impact on Community Connect missions:
After the project was completed, CommunityConnect Labs exceeded its 2020 Census goal, helping approximately 610,000 difficult to reach people get counted.
